Come to Shop and Enjoy the Courtesy of Our Friendly City....

December 2, 1952, Appleton Post-Crescent

All of these retailers pledged to help you out for Christmas, 1952 with extended hours and service.  As businesses go, some were lifelong affairs, others came and went with measured frequency.  I can recall fifteen or so of these stores and I was born four years after this ad.  How many do you remember?

Bock II

December 5, 1952, Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune

It's been several years since we featured Gem's own Bock Beer for the holidays.  Nice to see that the beer made its way to other parts of the state and wasn't just confined to the Twin Cities.

Paper Drive

December 15, 1941, Appleton Post-Crescent

In the first of what proved to be many more opportunities, local Boy Scouts do their part for National Defense.  In years to come, these drives would escalate to include aluminum, silk, cooking fat, rubber tires, scrap metal, and others, to provide raw materials to be fashioned into whatever the military needed- be it bullets, rifles, airplanes, etc.  Americans really pitched in as it was a national effort, and the Twin Cities were no strangers to taking part.

How Much Time is Left?

December 14, 1956, Twin City News-Record

A rather mundane feature but a valuable one if you tend to shop during Christmas like I do.   If nothing else, it allowed the local shopper to know the differences between the two cities, in order to maximize one's time.  I guess I had thought both towns had the same late evening hours but this calendar proves me wrong. Interesting side note...2018 is one of those years when the 1956 calendar can be used for the present day.  So recycle those old calendars if you have them!

Find Me Something Good

 

December 3, 1979, Twin City News-Record

Ah, a sight to warm the heart of any book lover, the annual library sale.  Such a great idea- making money for library programs while giving second life to books in a new home library, as it were. 

Spelling It Out

November 28, 1957, Appleton Post-Crescent

Before I take a week's hiatus to coincide with Thanksgiving, please let me wish you the best of holidays with your families.  I'll be back to the blog on Monday, November 26th.  See you then!

It's That Time of year

November 27, 1957, Twin City News-Record

It's that time of year when we squeeze in the joys of Thanksgiving and Christmas in such a short period of time that the advertising world is agog with seasonal overlap.  This is one such example from the News-Record.  And recall that this is 1957, long before the frenzied Black Friday countdowns and crazy deals meant to lure customers into their stores at ungodly hours.  I'd like to believe it was a simpler time.